Description
Persuasive Argument Assignment: For this assignment, you will research and write a paper in which you argue your position on an issue. The issue can be anyone on which there are at least two different points of view. Since an issue has opposing sides, you will have to look at both sides of the issue in your paper and present evidence that supports your point of view while disproving the opposing side. Although the paper will largely be based on your own opinion on the issue, you should use your researched sources to help explain or back-up your thoughts on the issue. Length and formatting: Minimum 5 double-spaced pages in a 12-point a standard serif font such as Times New Roman or Cambria. The paper will also include works cited page in MLA format. The works cited page still does not count to the paper’s length. Tips and Suggestions: – A well-documented position paper should look at a variety of different sources to help inform the writer’s opinion. Your paper should include at least 5 different sources. – None of which should be Wikipedia. – Although there is no required number of different types of sources (online article, book, website, etc.), you should still utilize a variety of media. I don’t want to see all journal articles or all books. – Although your paper is using multiple sources it should not be structured similarly to the exploratory paper. This is not a source-by-source breakdown of discussion points on the issue. The research is there to back you up, not to be the focus. – Pick a clear claim of fact, value, or policy and work on developing it with specific supporting reasons and evidence taken from your sources. – The main focus of the paper is you trying to persuade your readers to agree with your viewpoint on the issue. Therefore, you should employ as many persuasive techniques as you can to convince the reader that your opinion is the correct one. – Try to avoid using first-person pronouns – “I,” “my,” etc. – in your paper and don’t use the second person – “you” – pronouns. – Don’t feel restricted on topic selection; I’m grading you on how well your argument is constructed, not on whether or not I agree with it. The only exception is that I will not accept arguments advocating prejudice or discrimination or that make judgments against any individual or group. If you are concerned that your argument may fall into one of these categories, ask me. – Remember that direct quotes and information taken directly from your article need to be properly cited in MLA format; failing to do so can be considered a form of plagiarism.
